PANIZZOLO, Mauro (Via T. Vecellio 10, Piove Di Sacco, I-35028, IT)
CLAIMS
1. A weighing device (10), particularly for material in fragments, granules or the like, comprising a supporting frame (1 1) for a main container (12) for material to be weighed, means for weighing said main container (12) being provided, characterized in that it comprises a buffer container ( 14) for material to be weighed, which is supported by said frame (1 1) and is provided with a discharge hole (15) that can be reopened in order to discharge material to be weighed, which has accumulated in said buffer container (14), into said main container (12), and can be reclosed in order to accumulate material to be weighed in said buffer container (14).
2. The weighing device according to claim 1, characterized in that said frame (1 1 ) has a substantially vertical extension and supports said buffer container (14) above said main container (12), said buffer container (14) having, in an upper region, a filling port (16) for the material to be weighed and, in a lower region, said discharge hole (15), said main container (12) being provided, in an upper region, with an inlet (17) for material to be weighed, which faces said discharge hole (15).
3. The weighing device according to the preceding claims, characterized in that said weighing means comprise load cells (13), said container resting on said frame (1 1), which supports it on said load cells (13).
4. The weighing device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a first guillotine cover (18) that is associated with said buffer container (14) and can slide with respect to it in order to pass said buffer container (14) from a
- closed configuration, in which said first guillotine cover (18) is made to slide at said discharge hole (15) so as to cover it, to contrast the discharge of the material to be weighed from said buffer container (14) into said main container ( 12), to an — open configuration, in which said first guillotine cover (18) is made to slide so as to expose said discharge hole (15), in order to allow the discharge of the material to be weighed from said buffer container (14) into said main container (12),
- and vice versa. 5. The weighing device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said main container (12) is provided with a discharge compartment (19) that can be reopened in order to discharge weighed material and can be reclosed to accumulate material to be weighed, a second guillotine cover (20) being provided which is associated with said main container (12) and can slide with respect to it in order to make said main container (12) pass from a
- closed configuration, in which said second guillotine cover (20) is made to slide at said discharge compartment (19) so as to cover it, in order to contrast the discharge of the material to be weighed from said main container ( 12), to an
- open configuration, in which said second guillotine cover (20) is made to slide to expose said discharge compartment (19), in order to allow the discharge of the material to be weighed from said main container (12),
- and vice versa. 6. The weighing device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said first guillotine cover (18) comprises a first plate (21), which can slide below said buffer container (14), along a first direction (A) for opening and closing said discharge hole (15), first means being provided for moving said first plate (21) so that it can slide along said first opening and closing direction (A), said first plate (21 ) having first supporting shoulders (22), which are lateral with respect to said first opening and closing direction (A), and are provided with first wheels (23), first rails (24) being provided which are associated with said frame (1 1) laterally with respect to said discharge hole (15) with respect to said first opening and closing direction (A), and are engaged by said first wheels (23) for the sliding of said first plate (21), supported by said first shoulders (22), along said first opening and closing direction (A), so as to skim said buffer container (14) at said discharge hole (15), said buffer container (14) in said closed configuration having said discharge hole (15) closed by said first plate (21).
7. The weighing device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said second guillotine cover (20) comprises a second plate (25) that can slide below said main container (12), along a second direction (B) for opening and closing said discharge compartment (19), second means being provided for moving said second plate (25) so that, it can slide along said second opening and closing direction (B), said second plate (25) having second supporting shoulders (26), which are lateral with respect to said second opening and closing direction (B) and are provided with second wheels (27), second rails (28) being provided which are associated with said frame (1 1) laterally with respect to said discharge compartment (19), with respect to said second opening and closing direction (B), and are engaged by said second wheels (27) for the sliding of said second plate (25), which is supported by said second shoulders (26), along said second opening and closing direction (B), so as to skim said main container (12) at said discharge compartment (19), said main container (12) in said closed configuration having said discharge compartment (19) closed by said second plate (25).
8. The weighing device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said first movement means comprise a first hydraulic jack (29), which is associated with said frame (11) and with said first plate (21), for its movement along said first opening and closing direction (A), said first wheels (23) gliding on said first rails (24).
9. The weighing device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said second movement means comprise a second hydraulic jack (30), which is associated with said frame (11) and with said second plate (25), for its movement along said second opening and closing direction (B), said second wheels (27) gliding on said second rails
(28). |
WEIGHING DEVICE, PARTICULARLY FOR MATERIAL IN FRAGMENTS, GRANULES OR THE LIKE
Technical Field
The present invention relates to a weighing device, particularly for material in fragments, granules or the like. Background Art
Various devices for weighing material in fragments are currently known.
Among these devices, the so-called dynamic weighing system provides for a conveyor belt for the material to be weighed, which rests on load cells.
The load cells thus provide an estimate of the weight of the mass of material to be weighed that bears on the conveyor belt.
As is known to the person skilled in the art, this weighing device provides weight estimates that are affected by substantial errors, caused by the dynamic effects that occur during weighing, during the movement of material on the part of the conveyor belt.
A weighing device that provides more accurate estimate is the so- called static weighing system, which comprises a container for the material to be weighed which rests on load cells.
Automatically or manually, weighing is performed by interrupting the supply of material into the container, waiting for a stabilization period so that the weight estimate is not affected by dynamic transient effects, and by then acquiring the weight estimates of the load cells. Therefore, this solution, in order to obtain a more precise estimate than the one provided by a dynamic weighing system, requires that the container is not supplied with material to be weighed for the entire time required for stabilization and acquisition of the estimates of the load cells.
In this case, in order to avoid interrupting the flow of material to be weighed, one known solution consists in providing multiple containers to be
filled alternately, so that while one is being filled another one is being weighed.
This solution has the drawback of being bulky, requiring at least two containers to be arranged side-by-side and served by a conveyor belt or similar device that feeds them alternately. Disclosure of the Invention
The aim of the present invention is to provide a weighing device that does not require interruption of its supply of material to be weighed yet is precise as least as much as currently known devices of the static weighing system type.
Within this aim, an object of the invention is to provide a weighing device that has a smaller space occupation than currently known devices of the type with alternately supplied containers.
Another object of the invention is to provide a weighing device that is structurally simple and easy to use and can be manufactured with low costs.
This aim and these and other objects, which will become better apparent hereinafter, are achieved by a weighing device, particularly for material in fragments, granules or the like, comprising a supporting frame for a main container for material to be weighed, means for weighing said main container being provided, characterized in that it comprises a buffer container for material to be weighed, which is supported by said frame and is provided with a discharge hole that can be reopened in order to discharge material to be weighed, which has accumulated in said buffer container, into said main container, and can be reclosed in order to accumulate material to be weighed in said buffer container. Brief description of the drawings
Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become better apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of the weighing device according to the invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings,
wherein:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a weighing device according to the invention;
Figure 2 is a partially sectional enlarged-scale view of a detail of the weighing device according to the invention;
Figure 3 is an enlarged-scale sectional view of another detail of the weighing device according to the invention. Ways of carrying out the Invention
It is noted that anything found to be already known during the patenting process is understood not to be claimed and to be the subject of a disclaimer.
With reference to the figures, the reference numeral 10 generally designate a weighing device, particularly for material in fragments, granules or the like, which comprises a frame 1 1 for supporting a main container 12 for material to be weighed, and means are provided for weighing the main container 12, conveniently load cells 13 interposed between the main container 12 and the frame 11 , at the regions for resting the former on the latter.
A particularity of the weighing device 10 according to the invention is that it comprises a buffer container 14 for material to be weighed, which is supported by the frame 11 and is provided with a discharge hole 15 that can be reopened in order to discharge into the main container 12 the material to be weighed that has accumulated in the buffer container 14 and can be reclosed to accumulate material to be weighed in the buffer container 14.
Advantageously, the frame 11 has a substantially vertical extension and supports the buffer container 14 above the main container 12.
The buffer container 14 conveniently has, in an upper region, a filling port 16 for the material to be weighed, and has, in a lower region, the discharge hole 15; simultaneously, the main container 12 has, in an upper
region, an inlet 17 for material to be weighed, which faces the discharge hole 15, in order to receive the material to be weighed that is discharged from the buffer container 14 through the discharge hole.
Advantageously, the weighing device 10 comprises a first guillotine cover 18, which is associated with the buffer container 14 arid can slide with respect to it in order to make the buffer container 14 pass from a
- closed configuration, in which the first guillotine cover 18 is made to slide at the discharge hole 15 so as to cover it, to contrast the discharge of the material to be weighed from the buffer container 14 into the main container 12, to an
- open configuration, in which the first guillotine cover 18 is made to slide so as to uncover the discharge hole 15, in order to allow the discharge of the material to be weighed from the buffer container 14 into the main container 12, — and vice versa.
Likewise, the main container 12 is provided advantageously with a discharge compartment 19, which can be reopened in order to discharge weighed material and can be reclosed in order to accumulate material to be weighed in the main container 12, a second guillotine cover 20 being provided which is associated with the main container 12 and can slide with respect to it in order to make the main container 12 pass from a
- closed configuration, in which the second guillotine cover 20 is made to slide at the discharge compartment 19 so as to cover it, to contrast the discharge of the material to be weighed from the main container 12, to an
- open configuration, in which the second guillotine cover 20 is made to slide in order to expose the discharge compartment 19, to allow the discharge of the material to be weighed from the main container 12,
- and vice versa. The first guillotine cover 18 comprises a first plate 21 , which can
slide below the buffer container 14 along a first direction A for opening and closing the discharge hole 15, first means being provided for moving the first plate 21 so that it can slide along the first direction A.
The first plate 21 conveniently has first supporting shoulders 22, which are lateral with respect to the first direction A and are provided with first wheels 23, first rails 24 being provided which are associated with the frame 11 laterally with respect to the discharge hole 15, with respect to the first direction A, and are engaged by the first wheels 23 for the sliding of the first plate 21, supported by the first shoulders 22, along the first direction A, so as to skim the buffer container 14 at the discharge hole 15.
Conveniently, the buffer container 14 in the closed configuration has the discharge hole 15 closed by the first plate 21.
Likewise, the second guillotine cover 20 preferably comprises a second plate 25, which can slide below the main container 12 along a second direction B for opening and closing the discharge compartment 19, second means being provided for moving the second plate 25 so that it can slide along the second direction B.
The second plate 25 conveniently has second supporting shoulders
26, which are lateral with respect to the second direction B and are provided with second wheels 27, second rails 28 being provided which are associated with the frame 11 laterally with respect to the discharge compartment 19 relative to the second direction B and are engaged by the second wheels 27 for the sliding of the second plate 25, which is supported by the second shoulders 26, along the second direction B, so as to skim the main container 12 at the discharge compartment 19.
Conveniently, the main container 12 in the closed configuration has the discharge compartment 19 closed by the second plate 25.
Further, preferably, such first movement means comprise a first hydraulic jack 29, which is associated with the frame 1 1 and with the first plate 21, for its movement along the first direction A, so that the first wheels
23 glide on the first rails 24.
Likewise, such second movement means conveniently comprise a second hydraulic jack 30, which is associated with the frame 11 and with the second plate 25, for its movement along the second direction B, so that the second wheels 27 glide on the second rails 28.
The use of the weighing device 10 according to the invention is as follows.
During the filling of the main container 12, its discharge compartment 19 is closed by the second guillotine cover 20, while the discharge hole 15 is open, allowing the material to be weighed to pass through the buffer container 14, accumulating in the main container 12.
In order to weigh the material collected in the main container 12, the buffer container 14 is closed, with the first hydraulic jack 29 that moves the first plate 21 so as to close the discharge hole 15, so that the material to be weighed accumulates temporarily in the buffer container 14.
After waiting for a period for damping the dynamic transients after the closure of the first guillotine cover 18, the weighing estimate provided by the load cells 13 is acquired.
Once the weighing step has ended, the first guillotine cover 18 is opened in order to resume supplying the main container with material to be weighed.
Optionally, before this operation the main container can be emptied into a provided discharge bin, not shown in the figures, arranged below the main container 12 by opening the discharge compartment 19 by operating the second hydraulic jack 30 so as to move the second plate 25 from the discharge compartment 19.
In practice it has been shown that the invention achieves the proposed aim and objects, by providing a weighing device that does not require the interruption of its supply of material to be weighed, despite being at least as precise as currently known devices of the static weighing system type.
Further, a weighing device according to the invention, by way of its vertically extended arrangement with guillotine covers, has a smaller transverse space occupation than currently known devices.
The invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims; all the details may further be replaced with other technically equivalent elements.
In practice, the materials used, as well as the contingent shapes and dimensions, may be any according to requirements and to the state of the art.
The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. PD2007A000331 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.
Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.
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